Of Volcanoes and Curses
by imagination-running
Summary: The camps are united, Leo and Calypso have returned, and everyone is a big, happy family. But even big, happy families sometimes have to have awkward, difficult conversations to stay happy. - Because Leo, Calypso, Percy, and Annabeth are going to have to iron some things out, regardless of all the forgiveness and understanding they are offering one another. 2-shot
1. Part I

"Of Volcanoes and Curses"

Part I

Leo was being irrational. He knew it. He had no reason to be thinking the things he was thinking or feeling the things he was feeling. And even though Calypso kept looking at him with hurt shining in her eyes, he couldn't quite bring himself to care.

When the two of them had landed in Camp Half-Blood two days before, everyone had rushed to greet them. There were tears, laughter, slaps on the back, one really hard punch from Piper, but all-in-all, everyone had been ecstatic that he was back – and except for the rest of the crew of the Argo II - dumb-struck that he had a girl with him and even more shocked to hear that she was "The Calypso." Somehow in all the melee, however, he had noticed a look that he couldn't quite understand pass between his girlfriend and her former flame. It hadn't been much of a look, only lasting a couple of seconds, but he had seen it. And when Percy had quickly given her a cordial greeting before quietly and quickly leaving the scene, he had noticed Calypso frown. Percy and Annabeth had been keeping their distance, in a manner of speaking ever since, especially in regards to Calypso. No one really understood it, but Leo did know that he was getting sick of it.

Since no one was willing to speak of whatever was going on, he had managed to imagine a whole host of reasons why it was going on, and none of those reasons were making him happy, especially one reason in particular.

Though he and Calypso had never had an explicit conversation about it, Leo had heard about Odysseus's encounter with his girlfriend. She was a Titan who had been around for a few thousand years, and she had a bad habit of falling in love with hot guys. So, even though _The Odyssey_ was a one-sided account of what had happened on Ogygia, Leo figured there had to be some truth to the whole thing. Not to mention, she was frequently visited by the gods down through the years. He wasn't dumb enough to think that they were coming to tell her about the outside world just out of the kindness of their hearts. So, sure, he wasn't harboring some idea that his girlfriend was still a virgin after all this time, despite her solitary confinement.

However, no one had ever said anything about there having been anything physical between Percy and Calypso, but based on how weird everyone was being, Leo was beginning to think that there probably had been, and that made him burn with jealousy. So after two days of awkward encounters and silence, he went in search of his girlfriend. It was conversation they would have to have sooner or later, anyhow, so they may as well get it over with. He found her at the edge of the woods having a conversation with some tree nymphs. One of the nymphs saw him approaching and giggled. Then she hugged Calypso and rushed off into the woods with the other nymphs following in her wake. Calypso laughed and turned around, linking her arm in his.

"Looking for me, hero?" she asked with a grin.

Leo rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, I kinda was. I wanted to talk to you about something."

She gave him a calculating look. "Sounds serious. What is it?"

They had come to a stop just outside the arena. Leo released Calypso's arm and turned to face her. He took a deep breath and fought a blush. "Did you and Percy ever sleep together?"

Calypso looked confused. "Well, there was only the one cave, Leo. You know that. So, yes, we slept in the cave together. Why?"

Leo had to laugh. He often forgot just how much Calypso did not know about the modern world. Sometimes she blended in just fine, and then other times, this kind of thing happened. His laugh was short-lived, though, because as funny as it was, he really was jealous and angry about the whole thing. He just wanted the truth out in the open so they could all move on with their lives.

"No, Calypso, that's not what I meant."

She shook her head and furrowed her brow still confused. "Then what do you mean?"

"What he means," answered another voice from behind them, "is did you and Percy ever have sex?"

"Way to be blunt, Annabeth," called Leo as Calypso's eyes widened in understanding.

"No!" she answered quickly. "We never did that. He was not on my island long, and most of his time there, he was unconscious or too weak to even walk from the cave to the garden without having to rest."

"Well, you did something. Made out, played strip poker, or something," he concluded.

Annabeth had her arms crossed listening to the conversation. Leo was a little miffed by her intrusion, but he figured she had just as much right to know about what had happened between Percy and Calypso as he did. So he didn't say anything to her.

Calypso reached out and grabbed his hand. "We never made out, never even kissed, unless you count the one I gave him on his forehead just before he left, and we did not play strip poker."

She got quiet at the end of her statement, and Leo could tell that something was not quite as true with that statement as she was trying to make it sound.

"But there was something you're not telling us." It was Annabeth who spoke, again. "What did you see each other naked by accident or something?"

Calypso looked towards the ground. "No, it was not an accident, and Percy never saw any more of me than you have. I did, however, see him without his clothes."

Leo took his hand back and turned away. He could smell the smoke coming off his arms. He took a deep breath, trying to not burst into flames.

"It's not what either of you think," Calypso pleaded. She sounded close to tears. "I had to see him naked. He was dying. I was trying to save him. It was all medical, and he wasn't aware it was happening. He wasn't even awake."

Leo turned back around. He knew Percy had been to Ogygia, but he had never heard the story of how he got there, but judging from how pale Annabeth had suddenly become, he guessed it wasn't any better than his story.

"How...how bad was it?" Annabeth asked in a whisper. Her voice was shaking.

Calypso closed her eyes and shuddered. When she opened her eyes, again, they had a haunted look about them. "Save yourself the pain, Annabeth. Even Percy does not know. He never asked, and I never told him. I have never seen injuries as bad as what he had when he landed on my island."

Leo pulled a couple of springs and wires from his tool belt and began fiddling with them. "I wasn't in great shape when I landed. He couldn't have been much worse." It was a statement, but it sounded like a question.

Calypso met his eyes. "Percy told me he was blasted out of a volcano, Leo. When he landed...he barely looked human. He was bleeding everywhere it seemed, struggling to breath, most of his clothes had burned off of him, but what few bits were left had fused with his melted skin. He had several broken bones, a deflated lung, a horrible concussion, and burns on over 90 percent of his body. I spent three days just trying to keep him alive and stabilize him. I couldn't even move him from where he landed during that time because he was so fragile. And if it weren't for the fact that the water helps heal him, he probably wouldn't have made it."

Annabeth looked about ready to collapse, but she managed to speak again. "How did you heal him? He looked nearly perfect when he came back."

Calypso sighed. "It wasn't easy. Like I said, I spent three days straight just trying to make sure he kept breathing. When the tide started to come in and washed up on his feet, I realized it was healing him some, so I dug a trench from the water all the way around him to keep it continually on him. Once he was stable enough to move, I got him in my cave and on the bed. I had to get what was left of his clothes off of him to try to heal his skin. It was horrible. He was unconscious but would still cry out in pain and lash out as I tried to remove it. It took nearly a whole day just to get it all off of him.

"At last, though, I was able to start repairing his skin. It was like weaving, trying to grow new skin for him and make it connect to the old. I made it as seamless as possible. Percy later told me that he was surprised at how normal it looked. All-in-all, he was unconscious for a solid week, at least. I spooned nectar, broth, and water down him during that time to give some sustenance. And once he woke up, he was still unable to do much for several more days. He would tire easily and was too weak to stand or work for long periods of time. He eventually was able to help me a bit in the garden, but he still had to take frequent rests.

"But about me seeing him naked, once I finally healed his skin and clothed him in the new clothes I made for him, I never saw any more of him than his face, arms, and feet, so neither of you have anything to be jealous about. I promise."

Annabeth had turned to face the arena wall. She was hugging herself and rubbing her hands up and down her arms. Leo actually felt a little nauseous. He shoved the contraption he had been building into his tool belt. Then, he shook his head and looked at his girlfriend. She had tears in her eyes and looked like she still expected him to break up with her. He walked over and pulled her into a tight hug. "Hey, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have been that way. I trust you. Forgive me?"

She looked up at him and smiled. "Of course, idiot." He gave her a chaste kiss and pulled back to see Annabeth standing awkwardly off to the side waiting on them.

Calypso stepped back from him, and Annabeth looked up. Then, she walked over and put her hand on Calypso's arm. The girls looked at one another for moment and seemed to come to some kind of understanding. Then, Annabeth simply said, "Thank you" before turning and walking towards the lake.

Leo wrapped his arm around Calypso's shoulders. "Well, that's one awkward conversation out of the way. What should we do now, garden girl?"

She quirked her eyebrows at him but didn't comment on the name. "How about a tour of the famous Bunker 9, fire boy?"

He laughed outright. "Is that the best you could come up with?"

She put her hand on his face and smirked at him. "No, but it was the nicest." Then she pulled him down into a searing kiss, and any lingering jealousy he might have had evaporated instantly as he pulled her close and kissed her right back.

555555555555

A/N: Thanks for reading!

Disclaimer: I don't own PJO, HOO, or The Odyssey.


	2. Part II

Of Volcanoes and Curses

Part II

Percy was sitting on the beach watching the waves roll in while Annabeth taught an ancient Greek class. He had a free hour since the Hermes cabin were all having to clean the Big House for trying to prank Mr. D. Percy really didn't know what the Stolls were thinking. They had told him their plan and invited him to join in, but he had told them they would never get away with it and was staying out of it. At any rate, he had some time to spare before the Aphrodite cabin showed up at the arena for their lesson, and he decided to use that time to try to work through the tangled thoughts and emotions he had been having for the past three days, since Leo and Calypso had shown up.

He was happy for them, really he was. He was glad that Calypso had gotten off Ogygia. He was glad that she and Leo had one another and were happy. Honestly, he couldn't be more pleased for both of them. He had even made a point of thanking the gods for all of it.

The thing was, though, he was angry with Calypso. He hadn't been expecting it, but as soon as he saw her, the memories all came rushing at him. And not memories of his days on Ogygia with her. Memories of him and Annabeth in Tartarus. Memories of Annabeth being cursed to think that Percy had abandoned her. Watching her wander blindly along the edge of a cliff, calling and crying for him. Being unable to get to her, to call to her, to touch her, to save her.

With the memories came this wave of anger that threatened to knock him flat. It had caught him off guard, and it was all he could do to politely greet Calypso before high-tailing it out of there and to the arena where he destroyed five dummies in record time. And really he wasn't angry that Calypso had been hurt and angry and had cursed him. He was angry that she had directed her curse at Annabeth, someone she had never met, who had never done anything to her, someone he loved. He would have been fine if she had cursed him directly, but she hadn't. She had spitefully hurt Annabeth in her anger at him, and that he found, he just could not abide. As a result, he had been staying away, barely speaking to Calypso, trying – and failing – to quit being angry at her.

So here he was, alone on the beach, watching the water, and letting the ocean do what it always had done and sooth and calm him so he could think clearer and work through this mess. He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't notice when someone else came up to him. It was only when the other person sat down beside him that he even realized he wasn't alone. He looked over and almost groaned because, of course, the whole reason he was such a mess had sought him out and had just sat herself down right beside him, hugging her legs to her chest as she gazed out at the ocean.

"Calypso."

She didn't even look at him. "I've been looking for you."

He watched the waves some more. "It would seem you've found me."

"It took effort. You've been avoiding me."

Well, there was no denying that. "Did you need something?"

She finally looked over at him and answered. "I need to know what's wrong, Percy. Leo said you promised to help him get back to me if he needed it, so I thought you would be happy that I am free and with Leo. But you do not seem happy, and I would like to help."

Percy rubbed his face, already exhausted from the conversation. "I am happy for you, Calypso. You deserve to be free and in love with someone who loves you back."

For a moment she seemed to glow. "Do you really think he loves me?"

"He came back from the dead for you. If that's not love, then I don't know what is," he replied quietly.

She blushed and smiled softly. "Hmm...I think you are right. But back to you. You may be happy for me, but that's not all, is it?"

Percy looked back out over the ocean as the anger started rolling back in, but he couldn't respond.

She turned to face him and put her hand on his arm. "Percy, do not shut me out. Let me help, please."

"I think you've helped enough," he answered before he thought. He shook his head and stood up. "Gah! I'm sorry." He walked further down the beach until he was standing in the surf.

Calypso followed him. "You are angry." She sounded surprised. He didn't answer, just continued to look at the horizon. "Why? What are you angry at me about?" Her voice was harder than he had ever heard it.

Percy sighed and rubbed his face again. "I suppose you've heard that Annabeth and I spent some time in Tartarus this past summer?"

She dropped her gaze and answered more gently. "Yes, I heard. I am sorry. The Fates are often harsh."

Percy felt some of his anger dissipate, but he knew that he was going to have keep talking anyway, or he would never get over it. And he really didn't want to drive a wedge between them. He wanted to be friends. "Yeah, well, someone had to close the doors of death from that side, but we encountered a lot of enemies down there: Titans, Giants, monsters. We ran into creatures I had never seen before, even."

When he paused, she looked at him. "Yes," she encouraged.

He took a deep breath. "We ran into a group of monsters called arai. Have you heard of them?"

"The spirits of curses," she whispered as her gazed dropped. "My curse..."

"Yes, your curse, Calypso. It nearly cost us our lives – both Annabeth's and mine. But really, I don't blame you for being angry at me, but you didn't curse me. You cursed Annabeth! She nearly died because of that curse, and there was nothing I could to save her."

The waves were coming in faster and bigger. Nothing dangerous, but enough to splash against their legs so hard that water droplets were reaching as high as their waists.

Calypso put her hand on his crossed arms and looked imploringly at him. "I never meant to put either of your lives in danger by that curse. You have to understand, I was at a weak moment. I was hurt; I was lonely. And in a moment of rage, I lashed out and cursed Annabeth. I never truly meant to harm her or you. I just didn't want to be the only person in the world to feel such utter loneliness and sadness."

Percy let out a breath of air through his nose. "I do understand, though. I get it. And I deserve your wrath, but she doesn't. Annabeth has never done anything to you. I just...She means the world to me, Calypso. I don't like it when people I care about get hurt, especially because of me. Be angry at me, curse me, but leave everyone else out of it."

She looked at him for a moment with tears in her eyes. "I am sorry. You are right. It was a line I should not have crossed. Can you ever forgive me, Percy? I want to be friends with you and Annabeth."

Percy felt his anger deflate and ebb away. The waves calmed back to gentle rolls of water, and he looked at the girl in front of him. "I crossed a line, too, in Tartarus. I let my emotions get away from me, and I did something I regret and that may still come back to bite me. So I do understand what happened to you, and I do forgive you. And I'm sorry, too, Calypso. I should have made sure the gods kept their promise and released you after the Titan War. Can you forgive me?"

She smiled brightly at him. "Yes, Percy, I forgive you. Friends?"

He smiled and nodded. "Friends," he agreed.

55555555

A/N: Thanks for reading.

Disclaimer: I do not own PJO or HOO.


	3. Author's Note

This is just a test!

The second and final chapter of "Of Volcanoes and Curses" has been posted.

A glitch in the system is keeping it from popping up on the feed, and I didn't receive an email that I had updated it. I don't know if my followers did or not.

Sorry for this weird post.

Have a great day!

Imagination-Running


End file.
